Excerpt from The Catholic Weekly - Youth Honoured

Last week, our Youth Coordinator at Ryde Gladesville, Jemille West, was featured in an article in the Catholic Weekly. 

Jemille is currently undertaking a Mission Trip in the Philippines with some of the youth from our community, Br Dan and Fr Daniele. You can read the article below:

YOUTH HONOURED

Archbishop hosts Sydney Parish leaders recognizing their outstanding commitment

Jemille West is passionate about bringing young people close to God. The youth coordinator at St Charles Borromeo Ryde Parish says a recent dinner to gather youth leaders from across the Sydney archdiocese confirmed for her “that we are not alone in leading others to Jesus”.

Her work has won her the praise of many including parish priest Greg Morgan, who says she has been pivotal in helping the faith community grow and thrive since beginning at the start of the year.

Jemille runs three youth groups- for the primary school, the high school and the parish’s young adults- and has also initiated events in conjunction with local high school students and neighbouring parish leaders. And if that’s not enough on her plate she also helps to run local retreat days.

Jemille was one of four leaders acknowledged for outstanding commitment and service to their local faith communities by Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP at a dinner in St Mary’s Cathedral College Hall to celebrate the year’s youth ministry across the Archdiocese of Sydney.

Present were more than 100 youth leaders from parishes, ecclesial movements, ethnic chaplaincies, schools and missionary groups. Jemille said she was “honestly humbled” to be recognized for the work she has been doing and to know that it is bearing fruit and bringing people closer to God.

Sydney Catholic Youth team member Elizabeth Pasion said there are many high-calibre leaders working “tirelessly and faithfully” to bring the Good News to the archdiocese’s young people.

“We wanted to host a night to acknowledge the work they do and thank them because it’s easy to feel alone and question the work you do when you’ve been in a parish or leadership role for a long time,” she said.

“We wanted to bring everyone together and be reminded that God is faithful and won’t abandon us when He calls us to serve Him in this way. We are blessed to be called to serve young people and to be able to do that with so many other faithful young adults.”

SCY team leader Chris Lee said the generosity of parish youth leaders made several important formation opportunities possible this year. These included a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Panama, the first Youth Leaders Evangelisation School, the biggest Y-Factor youth camp yet held, the first Sydney-based Ignite Conference and monthly formation for youth leaders.

“It was just as much a blessing for us to [be able] and to thank and honour them and enjoy their company for an evening,” he said.




By Marilyn Rodrigues 

Originally published in the Catholic Weekly, 1 December 2019